Lynch Mob - 'Smoke and Mirrors'

Former guitar hero for Dokken, George Lynch’s long running project Lynch Mob delivers a solid hard rock album that’s rooted in the spirit of the early nineties and delivered with contemporary sensibilities.

Written off as a has-been by many, there’s a lot to be said for George Lynch for his tenacity in the music business, especially now that he’s in his 50s. His band Lynch Mob’s latest album Smoke and Mirrors sounds fresh and interesting throughout. Sure, the hard rocking, relatively pedestrian and sometimes cock-rocking nature of the album might not excite every metalhead, but measured by any objective standards, the quality on hand is undeniable.

The band focuses its strengths on songwriting rather than pointless showmanship, a true testament considering the awesome guitar acrobatics that Lynch himself is capable of. His ability to work mind-blowing solos into the songs in a way that makes sense and that yanks so aggressively at one’s heart strings is simply uncanny.

Lynch has come a long way since his metal blazing days with Dokken. The bluesy drawl of the title track is suitable for sipping iced tea or Jack and coke on the front porch more than head banging in a high school parking lot. But whether one likes Smoke and Mirrors or not, only the closed-minded would not admire his ambition.

Closer to his truest roots, however, “Time Keepers” showcases the more energetic and rugged side to Lynch’s musical persona. Elsewhere, “The Phacist” proves to be just as evocative, and “Let the Music be Your Master” finds the impressive vocals of Oni Logan taking on a Chris Cornell quality in what easily could have been a Chris Cornell song.

For better or worse, the album might work on contemporary rock radio, though it’s probably best suited for a nineties station.